IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 556 

Expressing support for the designation of May 2014 as Mental Health Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2014 

Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, 

Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. HONDA, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. 

BROWN of Florida, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. BARBER, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. TONKO, and Mr. PERLMUTTER) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of May 2014 as 

Mental Health Month. 

Whereas the mental health and well-being of people in the 

United States is a critical issue that affects not only 

quality of life, but also the health of communities, families, and economic stability; 

Whereas individuals with mental illness and behavioral health 

disorders can and do recover utilizing treatment regimens, including psychosocial therapies, medications, peer 

support and clinical help; as well as other behavioral, psychiatric, psychological, and medical services; 


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•HRES 556 IH 

Whereas parents, families, and caregivers are allies in recovery and serve as critical members of the care delivery 

team; 

Whereas advances in brain and behavioral research show significant promise for continued improvements in effective 

treatments of mental illness; 

Whereas 43.7 million American adults experience mental illness; 

Whereas approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents has 

a diagnosable mental disorder; 

Whereas 9.6 million American adults experience conditions 

such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression; 

Whereas 3.6 million American adults with a diagnosis of serious mental illness do not receive treatment; 

Whereas post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts 15 to 

20 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan and 20 

percent of Iraqi war veterans; 

Whereas roughly 20 to 50 percent of all prison and jail inmates are diagnosed with a mental illness and United 

States prisons are home to ten times more people with 

mental illness than psychiatric hospitals; 

Whereas mental illness is the leading cause of disability in 

the Nation; 

Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and lost productivity in the workplace and costs 

the United States economy over $193 billion per year in 

lost earnings; 

Whereas suicide is the second leading cause of death among 

individuals between the ages of 25 and 34; 


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•HRES 556 IH 

Whereas the rate of suicide among the elderly is higher than 

for any other age group; 

Whereas 1 in 4 Latino adolescents report contemplating suicide, a rate higher than any other demographic; 

Whereas Native Americans currently rank as the top ethnicity for suicide rates nationwide; 

Whereas studies report that people with serious mental illness 

die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population; 

Whereas those with mental illness are 3 to 4 times more likely to be the victims of crime and abuse; 

Whereas lack of awareness of one’s mental illness, known as 

anosognosia, affects approximately 50 percent of individuals with schizophrenia and 40 percent of individuals 

with bipolar disorder making it more challenging to receive care; 

Whereas the delay between a first episode of psychosis and 

onset of treatment is an average of 110 weeks; 

Whereas stigma associated with mental illness continues to 

persist; 

Whereas recovery-oriented interventions such as supported 

employment, supported housing, and supported education 

have been shown to improve outcomes; 

Whereas individuals engaged in peer recovery support services utilize crisis and emergency services less; and 

Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2014 as 

Mental Health Month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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1 (1) supports the designation of Mental Health 

2 Month to remove the stigma associated with mental 

3 illness and place emphasis on scientific findings re4 garding mental health recovery; 

5 (2) recognizes mental well-being is equally as 

6 important as physical well-being for citizens, commu7 nities, businesses, and the economy in the United 

8 States; 

9 (3) applauds the coalescing of national and 

10 community organizations in working to promote 

11 public awareness of mental health and providing 

12 critical information and support to the people and 

13 families affected by mental illness; 

14 (4) supports the finding of the President’s 

15 Commission on Mental Health that the Nation’s fail16 ure to prioritize mental health is a national tragedy; 

17 and 

18 (5) encourages all organizations and health 

19 practitioners to use Mental Health Month as an op20 portunity to promote mental well-being and aware21 ness, ensure access to appropriate services, and sup22 port overall quality of life for those living with men23 tal illness. 

Æ 


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